Chances are you've never been to a funeral quite like this one.
Then again, you may never have had a dearly departed who was quite as much of a character as Aunt Martha.
Laughter Zone 101 Presentations is staging Aunt Martha's Funeral, May 23 and 24 at Shiloh-Sixth Avenue United Church.
The interactive play - think Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding, but with more black garb - is taking to the stage under the direction of Margo Prentice, with producer Janice Bannister.
"It's so much fun," says an enthusiastic Prentice, who's been on a roll with rehearsals since January. " It's fun, fun, fun, laughter, laughter, laughter."
The first act begins, fittingly enough, at Aunt Martha's funeral in the church.
"Her dysfunctional, crazy family is there, and everything comes out," Prentice says.
No spoilers shall be given, but you can expect to see some oddball relatives, a strange minister and a unique eulogy, among other action.
Aunt Martha, you see, was a bit of a character and died in a skydiving accident, so you can expect a less-than-traditional occasion.
Various participants will appear around the church - such as friends of Aunt Martha's from her favourite charity, the Helmet Use is Really Terrific Society (HURTS), in their helmets - and attendees should keep their eyes open for the "crazy guy."
For the second act, the audience moves downstairs into the church gym for the reception, where the cast will serve up tea and coffee and continue to mingle, in character, with the members of the audience. A fight will also break out over the reading of Aunt Martha's will.
Prentice notes that audience members are encouraged to get into the spirit of the occasion, as much as they're comfortable with.
"I encourage people to come as a relative, or somebody that might have known Aunt Martha," she says.
And if you just want to watch and enjoy, that's OK too.
Regardless, Prentice says, it'll be an entertaining play for anyone who's age 12 or so and older.
"We have laughed our heads off all through rehearsal," she says.
They've even added local references and some political jokes to the plot, special to New Westminster.
The script came to Laughter Zone courtesy of the Fraser Valley Gilbert and Sullivan Society, though they haven't been able to track down who the original author was.
But Prentice loves the combination of scripted action and improv, and she promises audiences will be entertained.
"It's fun, hilarious, interactive," she sums it up.
The cast includes Michael Anthony, Ed Fong, Muriel Groves, Bob Finlay, Kris Michaleski, Kent Polich, Marjorie Russell, Gail Norcross, Bette-Anne Wilson, Modi Jiao and Catherine Maynard.
Aunt Martha's Funeral is on Friday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 24 at 1:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15. Buy at Renaissance Books, 43 Sixth St., or online through laughterzone101.com/auntmartha.
Shiloh-Sixth Avenue United is at 1111 Sixth Ave.
